This invention relates to apparatus for handling disk recording media and in particular to novel improved methods and apparatus for partitioning "disk packs", especially for double-sided transducer operation.
Workers in the data recording and related record handling arts are cognizant of today's advanced state of the art; e.g., in improved disk recording media and associated record handling equipment. Such equipment is now widely used, especially in the form of "flexible or "floppy" disks. The present invention is intended to supplement improved disk handling equipment adapted to handle packs of such flexible disk media, providing improved means to separate and partition the disks from one another.
Workers are well aware that, along with their advantages, "floppy disk" media have long presented certain problems. Some workers have despaired of finding any simple, practical means of accessing individual selected recording surfaces in a "floppy disk pack" in the precise, rapid, repeatable manner that is typically required--this principally because a floppy substrate seemed so difficult to hold in position and stabilize. And it is not surprising that workers have anticipated tremendous difficulties in precisely positioning a Read/Write head between tissue-thin floppy disks' separated by no more than a few mils, let alone doing so quickly and simply. This invention facilitates such operation in an improved partition arrangement and associated technique. The invention is intended to provide means, with associated "floppy pack" processing equipment which is adapted to automatically partition a stack of disks and give good access to a transducer assembly, etc. The invention is especially adapted to give access to double-sided transducer assemblies, isolating a "selected" disk from the rest of the pack, both top and bottom--and doing so with automatic equipment which is relatively simple, yet cost-effective, while presenting no danger of damaging the thin fragile disks.
The present invention is particularly designed to accommodate a pack of hole-encoded disks, (as described in the above-cited applications) as well as the positioning manipulations associated therewith--more specifically, to provide pack-partitioning plunger means, and disk selection and transducer access with automatic equipment. The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantages of prior art structures and methods and provides the mentioned and other features and advantages according to a novel design.
More particularly, this invention teaches techniques and associated means for effecting one, or more, "double-partitioning" of a flexible disk pack; preferably in conjunction with means for holding an intermediate "selected" disk centered in the partition-gap for prescribed transducer-access to both disk sides; the associated means preferably involving (at least) two pairs of opposed "telescoping-plunger" arrays, with each plunger adapted to project an outer "centering" shaft and an inner deflecting shaft--these being adapted for admission through disks provided with associated "double-arrays" of partition holes, each array comprised of a first set for admission of these outer shafts and an associated second set for admission of the inner shafts-only. A common rotary-hub actuator mechanism is also preferably provided to actuate each opposed array of plungers in prescribed synchronism.
The foregoing and other features, objects and advantages, according to the present invention will be more fully appreciated and become more apparent from consideration of the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein like reference symbols denote like parts.